The Golden Lion

The Golden Lion Live Music & Events 7 days a week. Please email [email protected] for booking enquiries.
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THE GOLDEN LION – BRISTOL’S HOME OF LIVE MUSIC
Gloucester Road · BS7 8NZ

The Golden Lion is one of Bristol’s leading live music venues, hosting performances every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sundays. Our stage showcases talent from across the UK, ranging from emerging local acts to established touring artists. Weekly Programme

Every Wednesday – Open Mic Night (all performers welcome)
Last Thursday of the Month → Open Blues Jam

Supporting Live Music

Most of our live shows are **free entry**. We invite guests to contribute generously to the “Hat” so our musicians can continue doing what they do best...

The Golden Lion remains dedicated to keeping live music thriving in Bristol. To stay up to date with our programme, subscribe to our event listings. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

**The Golden Lion Team**

🎤 LAST NIGHT’S OPEN MIC 🎤Firstly, a HUGE apology to everyone for the major technical difficulties at the start of last n...
17/09/2026

🎤 LAST NIGHT’S OPEN MIC 🎤

Firstly, a HUGE apology to everyone for the major technical difficulties at the start of last night. It was pretty stressful trying to get everything working, and unfortunately it meant everything got pushed back and the whole evening ran behind.

Thank you to everyone for being patient and sticking with me while I wrestled with the technology… WE GOT THERE IN THE END! 😅

Technical gremlins aside, it was still a cracking night.

Every single performer brought their A game, the room was supportive as ever, people listened, people cheered each other on, and somehow amongst the chaos we still ended up with a bloody lovely Open Mic. 💛

And now for our weekly gender balance report… 😂💜

We had just ONE female performer last night!

But WHAT a performance it was. The brilliant Nina absolutely smashed it, and you can catch her supporting The Dunwells at The Louisiana this Friday night. Go Nina! 👏

But seriously, women and femme-presenting musicians of Bristol… WE NEED YOU!

Singers, songwriters, musicians, poets, seasoned performers, nervous first timers… come and get involved. Open mics can be very bloke heavy and we’re determined to keep chipping away at that.

The MYTHICAL 50/50 SPLIT remains tantalisingly mythical. 😂

Come and help us fix it!

And genuinely, thank you again to everyone who stuck with us through last night’s technical carnage. Not the smoothest Open Mic I’ve ever hosted… but the people in that room still made it a good one. 💛

**Every Wednesday, always a vibe **

✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm, first come first served
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar & keys available

💛OPEN MIC EVERY WEDNESDAY💛Summer is starting to disappear in the rear-view mirror… which means we’re heading back into m...
16/09/2026

💛OPEN MIC EVERY WEDNESDAY💛

Summer is starting to disappear in the rear-view mirror… which means we’re heading back into my favourite kind of Open Mic evenings.

Dark nights outside. Cosy, candle lit room inside. Music, stories, laughter, a few beers and a room full of people who actually LISTEN when someone gets up to perform. 💛

That’s always been the heart of this night.

It’s not just about getting your three songs in and heading home. It’s about the little community that’s grown around it. People come to play, people come just to listen, strangers become regulars, regulars become friends… and everyone gets behind whoever happens to be standing at the mic.

No cliques. No egos. Just good vibes and people supporting each other.

Never performed before? Come have a go.
Been playing for years? Come have a go.
Don’t perform at all and just fancy listening to some live music? Come hang out.

And we’re continuing our campaign to make the stage a little less bloke heavy! 😂💜

Women and femme-presenting singers, songwriters, musicians and poets… WE WANT YOU HERE! Whether you’re a seasoned performer or you’ve been quietly thinking about getting up for the first time, come and join us! The night is always better with a proper mix of voices, people and perspectives.

If you want to play, GET THERE EARLY. The list has been filling up FAST recently and it’s first come, first served.

Every Wednesday, always a vibe

✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar & keys available

⚡️ BRISTOL. WE’RE COMING FOR YOU. ⚡️On Saturday 19th September, CLEO AND THE PATRAS are crashing into The Golden Lion fo...
11/09/2026

⚡️ BRISTOL. WE’RE COMING FOR YOU. ⚡️

On Saturday 19th September, CLEO AND THE PATRAS are crashing into The Golden Lion for a night of riffs, noise, sweat and questionable decisions. 🖤

Expect originals with teeth, covers dragged through the dirt and rebuilt our way, and absolutely no standing around looking sensible.

🔥 With support from MACHINE MIRAGE 🔥

📍 The Golden Lion — Gloucester Rd, Bristol
📅 Saturday 19th September
🚪 Doors 7:30pm
💸 FREE. BLOODY. ENTRY.

No excuses.
Bring your mates.
Bring your eyeliner.
Bring earplugs if you’re a coward. 😈

GET IN. GET LOUD. SEE YOU DOWN THE FRONT.

🖤💗🤘

🎤 LAST NIGHT’S OPEN MIC 🎤Well… that was an EPIC one. 💛A proper mixed bag of an evening, in the best possible way. We had...
10/09/2026

🎤 LAST NIGHT’S OPEN MIC 🎤

Well… that was an EPIC one. 💛

A proper mixed bag of an evening, in the best possible way. We had all the moments… singalong moments, thoughtful moments, funny moments, quiet moments, and everything else that somehow finds its way into the Open Mic musical soup.

A MASSIVE shout out to the brilliant all female a ca****la group Flora Loca, Absolutely bloody brilliant. 👏💜

As always, it was great to see some brand new faces walking through the door. But one of my favourite things about this night is watching what happens afterwards…

New faces come back.

Then they become regulars.

Then regulars become friends.

And suddenly Wednesday nights at The Golden Lion are just part of your week. 💛

Nearly nine years into doing this, that little community we’ve built is still the thing I’m most proud of.

NOW… 😂

Despite the mighty Flora Loca flying the flag, we had just TWO female acts out of 11 last night! So our quest for the MYTHICAL 50/50 SPLIT continues…

Women… WE KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE! 😂💜

Female singers, songwriters, musicians, poets, seasoned performers, nervous first-timers… WE WANT YOU HERE.

Open mics can be a bit bloke heavy, and the night is so much richer and more interesting with a balanced mix of people getting up there. So come and join us next Wednesday. Don’t let the men have all the fun! 😂

Every Wednesday, always a vibe ✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm, first come first served
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar & keys available

🎤 OPEN MIC. EVERY WEDNESDAY. 🎤Every Wednesday night, we turn the live room of The Golden Lion into our quirky candle lit...
07/09/2026

🎤 OPEN MIC. EVERY WEDNESDAY. 🎤

Every Wednesday night, we turn the live room of The Golden Lion into our quirky candle lit corner of Bristol’s music scene. 💛

Most weeks it’s absolutely rammed. Some weeks it’s a little more intimate. Some nights somebody walks through the door for the first time, nervously puts their name on the list… and a few Wednesdays later they’re a regular.

And that, really, is what I love about this night. It’s not just a conveyor belt of people getting up, playing three songs and buggering off. People stick around. They listen. They applaud. They meet each other. They come back.

We’ve had incredible singers, people playing their first ever gig, poets, seasoned musicians trying out brand new songs, ridiculous covers, quiet moments, laugh out loud moments and all manner of unexpected stuff thrown into the musical soup. 😂

And nearly nine years into hosting this thing, I’m still bloody grateful that people choose to spend their Wednesday evenings here.

So…

Come and perform.
Come and listen.
Come and support.

New faces VERY welcome. Nervous first timers VERY welcome. Regulars, always great to see you!

Now… we know the open mic scene can be a bit bloke heavy, but, we’re aiming to change that! Female singers, songwriters, musicians, poets… WE KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE. COME JOIN US! The night is so much richer with a more balanced line up… don’t let the men have all the fun! 🤣💜

One important thing: it’s been BUSY recently and the list can fill up fast, so if you want to perform, GET THERE EARLY! There are no advance bookings, it’s first come, first served.

Every Wednesday, always a vibe ✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar & keys available

September this month is stacked!!
03/09/2026

September this month is stacked!!

💛 Last Night’s Open Mic 💛It was GREAT to be back last night after a week away, and what an awesome night to come back to...
03/09/2026

💛 Last Night’s Open Mic 💛

It was GREAT to be back last night after a week away, and what an awesome night to come back to. 💛

The vibe was excellent from start to finish. Loads of brilliant performances, a properly supportive room and a really nice mix of familiar faces and people joining us for the first time.

One thing I particularly love is seeing some of the people who were “new faces” only a few weeks ago starting to become regulars. That’s how this little community has grown over the years. You turn up once, come back again, start recognising people… and before you know it, Wednesday night at the Golden Lion has somehow become part of your week. 💛

The list filled up FAST again last night, so a genuine apology to anyone who came hoping to perform and didn’t manage to get a slot. Please don’t be put off and COME BACK! We’d love to hear you next week. Get down early and get your name on that list.

Now… ladies. 💜

We need to have word. 😂

After our triumphant five female acts out of 13 a couple of weeks ago, last night we were back down to just TWO out of 11!

The mythical 50/50 line up remains frustratingly out of reach!

So once again, female singers, songwriters, musicians, poets, experienced performers and people who’ve never dared get up before… WE WANT YOU HERE. 💜

And finally, thank you to everyone who came down last night. Whether you performed, listened, applauded, encouraged someone else or just sat with a pint and enjoyed the music, you’re part of what makes the night what it is.

Nearly nine years in and I’m still incredibly grateful that people keep showing up every Wednesday and making this strange little candle lit gathering feel special.

See you next week. 💛

Every Wednesday, always a vibe ✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm (first come first served, so arrive early)
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar and keys available

💛Golden Lion Open Mic Every Wednesday💛I’M BACK! 🫡After a week away gallivanting on holiday, I’m rested, refreshed and re...
01/09/2026

💛Golden Lion Open Mic Every Wednesday💛

I’M BACK! 🫡

After a week away gallivanting on holiday, I’m rested, refreshed and ready for some OPEN MIC MADNESS this Wednesday.

Massive thanks again to the brilliant Alex Taylor for holding the fort while I was away. But normal service has now resumed… whatever “normal” means at the Golden Lion Open Mic. 😂

Expect songs, poems, stories, singalongs, quiet moments, laugh out loud moments, unexpected moments and the occasional musical curveball that nobody saw coming. But as always, the best thing about this night is the community around it.

Whether you’ve been coming for years, you’ve only recently discovered us, or this Wednesday will be your very first time, you’re welcome. Come and perform, come and listen, come and support. It all matters. 💛

No cliques. No egos. Just a candle lit room full of people who genuinely want each other to do well.

If you want to perform, ARRIVE EARLY! We’ve had some seriously busy nights recently and the list can fill up quickly. Sign up is first come, first served from 7pm.

And women… I haven’t forgotten about you! 💜 We’re still chasing that elusive 50/50 line up. Singers, songwriters, musicians, poets, seasoned performers and nervous first timers, we want to hear from you!

Every Wednesday, always a vibe ✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm (first come first served, so arrive early)
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar and keys available

💛🎤 Golden Lion Open Mic TONIGHT 🎤💛It’s Wednesday, which means the Golden Lion Open Mic rolls on!I am currently off galli...
26/08/2026

💛🎤 Golden Lion Open Mic TONIGHT 🎤💛

It’s Wednesday, which means the Golden Lion Open Mic rolls on!

I am currently off gallivanting on holiday, but fear not… the open mic has been left in the extremely capable hands of the super talented Alex Taylor, who’ll be taking over hosting duties tonight. 💛

So please give Alex a massive warm welcome… and try to behave yourselves while I’m away. 😂

As always, expect songs, poems, stories, laughter, unexpected moments and that lovely bit of Wednesday night magic that nobody can really plan for.

We’ll also take a moment tonight to remember Dolly Parton and reflect on the joy, generosity and inspiration she brought to so many people through her music and remarkable career. 💛

No cliques. No egos. Just a room full of people who genuinely want each other to do well.

Whether you’re a regular, it’s your first time through the door, or you’ve been hovering around the idea of getting up and performing for months, come and join us. You’ll get a warm welcome.

And women… keep that momentum going! 💜 We had five female acts out of 13 last week, which was getting tantalisingly close to our mythical 50/50 split. Let’s see if you can finally smash it while I’m away! 😂🎤

Have a cracking night, look after Alex, support each other, and I’ll see you all when I’m back.

Every Wednesday, always a vibe ✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm (first come first served, so arrive early)
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar and keys available

💛 Last Night’s Open Mic 💛What a night.. It was absolutely rammed!! We had to get extra tables and chairs out, the list f...
20/08/2026

💛 Last Night’s Open Mic 💛

What a night.. It was absolutely rammed!! We had to get extra tables and chairs out, the list filled up so fast, and we even added extra slots at the end to squeeze more people in… so it turned into a bit of a late one! 😅

A massive thank you to the performers who generously shared their slots so that other people could have a go. That little gesture really sums up what this night is about. It’s not just about getting your own 15 minutes on stage, it’s about supporting each other and being part of the whole night. 💛

And speaking of progress… FIVE female acts out of 13 last night!! 💜Not quite the mythical 50/50 split we keep banging on about, but we’re getting there! And honestly, the night feels so much more balanced when there’s a good mix of voices and perspectives on the stage. So women… KEEP COMING. We’re closing in! 😂

Most importantly, thank you to absolutely everyone who made last night what it was. The performers obviously bring the music, poems and stories, but the people who turn up simply to watch, listen, applaud and encourage are every bit as important.

After nearly nine years of running this night, seeing a packed room full of people supporting each other still feels pretty bloody special. I never take it for granted.

Thank you all. See you next Wednesday. 💛

Every Wednesday, always a vibe ✌️😎

📆 Every Wednesday
✍️ Sign up from 7pm (first come first served, so arrive early)
🎶 Music from 8pm
🍻 Free drink for every performer
📍 Golden Lion, BS7
🎸 House guitar and keys available

Address

244 Gloucester Road
Bristol
BS78NZ

Opening Hours

Monday 12pm - 12am
Tuesday 12pm - 12am
Wednesday 12pm - 12am
Thursday 12pm - 12am
Friday 12pm - 1am
Saturday 12pm - 1am
Sunday 12pm - 12am

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